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Showing posts with label Pets In Space. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pets In Space. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

PETS IN SPACE 4 #sfr


I'm excited to share with you news about the next Pets in Space anthology. Have you read the previous three books? They were awesome. Several science fiction romance authors get together to share stories featuring animals who . . . Why don't I let Cassandra Chandler, who is one of the authors, tell you more.


From the moment I heard about the Pets in Space® anthologies, I thought it was such a great idea. An anthology of science fiction romance stories that feature pets? 1-clicked! I love seeing the variety in worlds, characters, and authors’ voices. Plus getting to meet the different pets is always such fun.

Then I discovered that Pets in Space® supports Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that provides service animals to veterans and first responders in need. At that point, it became a bucket-list item for me to be part of this wonderful endeavor.

I’m thrilled to be one of thirteen authors in the Pets in Space® 4 anthology releasing on October 8, 2019!

It seems both far away and right around the corner to me. I’m so excited for these stories to be out in the world! And just in case it seems like a long wait for you, too, there’s a sampler of short stories and preview chapters that you can download right now when you sign up for the Pets in Space® newsletter at PetsInSpaceAntho.com/Sampler (but sign up quick — the sampler goes away October 7, 2019!).

In the meantime, please enjoy this expert from my Pets in Space® 4 story, Import Quarantine. It’s book 11 in my Department of Homeworld Security series!


EXCERPT

She grabbed her phone from her bedside table and ran to the door, stepping up on her tiptoes so she could see through the eyehole. The motion sensor light had tripped, and through the fish-eye lens, he looked…

Pretty cute, actually.

He had greenish-blue eyes, sandy brown hair—shorter on the sides than on the top—and a strong jaw and nose. Nice lips. Really nice lips. His arms were braced on either side of the doorframe and his shoulders were broad enough that he looked totally capable of knocking down her door.

“Wow, he is buff,” Caitlin whispered.

He lifted his fist and hammered on the door again, hard enough to make the pictures on the walls shake. She yelped and jerked back.

“Caitlin O’Rourke!”

“I’m here,” she yelled. “You can stop knocking.”

His tone hadn’t lost any of its urgency when he said, “I need your help.”

“I’m not a doctor.”

He went quiet.

She was about to look through the eyehole again when he said, “Brigid told me you were.”

“Brigid,” Caitlin murmured. “Of course.”

Brigid, the quieter twin who somehow lived the more interesting life. Brigid, surrounded by celebrities that hired her to cook for them. Brigid, the valedictorian, who could do no wrong in their parents’ eyes.

“I’m a veterinarian,” Caitlin said.

“A what?”

“An animal doctor.” Caitlin raised her voice so he could hear her clearly.

“That’s what I need. Please, my cat needs help.”
  

PETS IN SPACE® 4 ANTHOLOGY BLURB

For a limited time only! Pets in Space® 4 is proud to present 13 amazing, original new stories! Join the adventures as today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors take you on a journey to another world. Pets in Space® proudly supports Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that provides service animals to veterans and first responders in need. Join New York Times, USA TODAY and Award-winning Bestselling authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Tiffany Roberts, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Donna McDonald, Regine Abel, Alexis Glynn Latner, JC Hay, E.D. Walker, Kyndra Hatch, and Cassandra Chandler for another exciting Pets in Space® anthology. Get the stories before they are gone!

Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space® authors have donated over $7,100 in the past three years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans and first responders. 10% of all pre-orders and the first month’s royalties of Pets in Space® 4 will again go to Hero-Dogs.org. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Pets in Space® 4 today so together we can continue to assist this worthy charity!


BUY LINKS



AUTHOR BIO AND LINKS

Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her whimsical Science Fiction romcoms and darkly evocative Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or dark, her stories will introduce you to characters you want to be friends with and worlds where you’d like to build a vacation home.

Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/boZm9j
Facebook Reader Group “Welcome to Cassland”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562856810451659/

Thursday, October 11, 2018

GUEST: Veronica Scott - EMBRACE THE PASSION, Pets in Space 3

I'm excited to welcome Veronica Scott back to the blog. She has a great book to tell you about, an anthology featuring pets. I've read the two previous anthologies and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm so looking forward to reading this one.

Welcome, Veronica!


STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER for Pets In Space3: Embrace the Passion
by Veronica Scott

Thanks for having me as your guest to talk about my story for this year’s Pets In Space3: Embrace the Passion anthology!

I love going back to revisit my interstellar cruise liner, the Nebula Dream, for these PISA stories, as the ship cruises through the futuristic human civilization known as The Sectors.  I’ve written a number of books and novellas centered on events aboard the ship now and find the whole cruise setup lends itself to telling a good scifi romance adventure tale. Readers new to my world don’t need to know a lot of backstory to enjoy the events, and for those who have read others in the series, it’s a nice return to see some favorite characters (I hope!).

When it came to the central plot of the story, I have to say I love unexplained mysteries and trying to figure out the truth. Since the pet in my story is a kind of alien genie-cat who lives in a beautifully painted black laquer box, that reminded me of the gorgeous boxes and Matryoshka (nesting) doll sets the Russians paint and sell.  
The link to Russia in my author brain then reminded me of the whole tragic story of the last Tsar and his family, and how they were murdered but for years rumors persisted one of the children might have survived. Various individuals claimed to be ‘Anastasia’ or another of the siblings, and of course there have been movies and plays written with that theme. There’s even going to be a TV series this year about pretenders to the Russian throne!

I always flash back to the 1950’s movie version with Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman because that movie was one of my mother’s favorites and also left the answer to the question of “Is she or is she not Anastasia?” somewhat open at the end. My daughters loved the animated fantasy version of the tale, with the voices of Meg Ryan and John Cusack, when they were growing up.

When I was growing up there was a lot of sentiment and speculation that one woman in particular actually might have been Anastasia. Nowadays with DNA testing and the like, it’s possible to answer this type of question relatively easily and reveal an impostor but in my far future, I was able to leave the question a bit more mysterious, until the very end of the story. No spoilers from me!

As far as the pet, I happened to see a very distinctive Siamese cat earlier in the year and I thought that would be fairly easy for our talented artist, Nyssa Juneau, to adapt with a third eye and a few other scifi alterations. F’rrh may not be the most elegant feline in the galaxy but I think she does has a certain edgy, mysterious look. You sure wouldn’t take her for granted.

Anthology Blurb:
Pets in Space™ is back! Join us as we unveil eleven original, never-before-published action-filled romances that will heat your blood and warm your heart! New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Carol Van Natta, Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, E D Walker, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch combine their love for Science Fiction Romance and pets to bring readers sexy, action-packed romances while helping our favorite charity. Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space™ authors have donated over $4,400 in the past two years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space™ 3 today!

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER blurb:  Tassia Megg is a woman on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. Her search to get off the planet in a hurry comes when chance directs her to an open dance audition for the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. If there is one thing Tassia can do, it is dance!

Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief, accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the cruise, he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess in hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps? And what’s the story with the three-eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?

As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray her. Life is about to get very interesting aboard the Nebula Zephyr as Liam tries to uncover the truth. Could F’rrh, the peculiar alien cat he has been hearing about, be the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate?

The excerpt – Tassia explains part of her story for the first time:

Remembering his previous intuition that she was on the run and hiding secrets, he held her tight. “I need to know the whole story now, sweetheart, so I can protect you. Help you. Before we have to explain anything to Captain Fleming.”

Tassia took a deep breath, set the mug on the table with a thump, and sat straight. “I’ll have to tell the captain so I might as well start by telling you.” She gazed deep into his eyes. “I trust you.”

“Tell me what?” Nothing she could say was going to change his feelings for her but he sensed major trouble might lie ahead. No matter what challenges Tassia had, he’d stand with her and do his best to defend and protect her.

Raising her head as if she wore a crown, she said, “I’m the Imperial Princess Alynnskaya Tassiamilla Oleavna, sole survivor of the mass assassination that sparked the Ruatsar Rebellion.”

He stared at her, not sure he’d heard correctly, waiting for her to clarify the oddly timed joke, and then he realized she was deadly serious. She was the embodiment of the persistent urban legend, whispering through the stars, telling of the mysterious survival of one member of the doomed family.

“It’s a long story, but the RNR forces have been hunting for me almost my entire life.” Her voice was weary and her hands shook. “They’ve also been trying to regain the crown jewels, which the enemy believes I possess, but whatever bits of jewelry I had were sold long ago for food, a roof over our heads, or passage to the next solar system by the woman who was my rescuer and guardian angel.” She watched him. “I’m trying to reach asylum at the court of my great aunt, but it’s been a long and difficult journey through many Sectors.”


BUY LINKS
Amazon     iBooks     B&N    Kobo     Google

Pets in Space™ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetsInSpace/


Author Bio and Links:

USA Today Best Selling Author Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart and thought there needed to be more romance in everything but especially science fiction.  Blog: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/



Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Guest: Jessica E. Subject #PetsinSpace @jsubject


I'm in love with this book, too. Besides being a great anthology of enjoyable stories, I love the charity the authors are sponsoring. More about that later. My friend Jessica E. Subject is here to talk about her contribution to the story.

The Secret History of the
Galactic Defenders

by Jessica E. Subject

Please Note: 10% of the first months profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence. Our donation period ends November 11th 2017 so this is your final days to buy Embrace the Romance and help support Hero-Dogs.org.



Gib and the Tibbar is the story I have included in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2. It is part of my Galactic Defenders series about a multi-race military unit that travels the universe protecting planets and their citizens from the Erebus. Today, I’m going to share the history of how the Galactic Defenders came to be.

The Yarwins are an extremely intelligent race that have been around for tens of thousands of years and live on the planet Yarwa. They are seers as well, but over the years, that ability has dwindled for many of their kind, which serves as conflict in some of the Galactic Defenders stories.

Another ancient race, the Gyoun were afraid of the Yarwins intelligence and abilities. They conducted genetic experiments on their own people to create a being that would guard their planet from the possibility of attack from the Yarwins, a being that could also leave the planet and travel by the power of their sun to Yarwa and attack if the need arose. Unfortunately, these experiments went horribly wrong. The Erebus creature they created ended up killing the entire populations of Gyoun before leaving the planet to attack Yarwa.

The seers saw the attack coming and were prepared. Though, they did lose some of their population. But, they also noticed that they weren’t able to kill all of the Erebus. Some of them leaped from the planet to travel on to another. Knowing what the Erebus were capable of, the Yarwa decided to hunt them down, prevent them from attacking any other planets.

But the Erebus population grew, and the Yarwa needed help. The Yarwa met with many of their trading partners to not only form the Galactic Alliance, but to also recruit help from other planets to create an army of Galactic Defenders whose mission was to hunt down the Erebus and protect the innocent from attack. Now, the Defenders travel to planets that are part of the Alliance as well as planets who aren’t even aware of life beyond their own to protect them from an Erebus attack.


BLURB:

Gib and the Tibbar
A Novella in the Galactic Defenders Series
By Jessica E. Subject

A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.

Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.

With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?

About the anthology:




The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first months profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence. **Our donation period ends November 11th 2017 so this is your final days to buy Embrace the Romance and help support Hero-Dogs.org.


EBOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon http://bit.ly/EmbraceTheRomance
Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073W5WQBH/
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073W5WQBH/
Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B073W5WQBH/
Amazon FR https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B073W5WQBH/
Amazon DE https://www.amazon.de/dp/B073W5WQBH/
Amazon JP https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B073W5WQBH/
iBooks http://bit.ly/EmbraceTheRomanceiBooks
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embrace-the-romance-se-smith/1126723852
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/embrace-the-romance-pets-in-space-2
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/S_E_Smith_Embrace_the_Romance_Pets_in_Space_2?id=Jp8rDwAAQBAJ

Universal Link for All Stores:
Books2Read books2read.com/u/3L9aYM

Add to Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35658092-embrace-the-romance

EXCERPT:

A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.

But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”

Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”

“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.

A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off.

Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.

“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”

“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”

Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”

The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”

“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”

“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.

“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:


KEYWORDS:



Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Pets in Space with Veronica Scott

What a fun anthology! Veronica Scott is here to talk about how Pets In Space came about. Just look at the line up of authors.




Thanks for having me as your guest today to talk about Pets In Space!

A little over a year ago, Pauline Baird Jones and I were talking about how much fun it would be to pair pets with science fiction romance stories. Of course there have been pets in science fiction before, like Muffy the Daggit in “Battlestar Galactica”, Jonesy the cat in the first two “Aliens” movies or the fire lizards in Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series. But we wanted to have the pets be much more important characters in these stories, along with the human hero and heroine of course.

We invited a few other authors to ‘play’ at using this writing prompt and the anthology came together.

For my story, “Star Cruise: Stowaway”, I knew I wanted to place the events on board the Nebula Zephyr, my intergalactic luxury liner. I figured the ship’s cargo master and his two pets – a cat and her alien sidekick – would be the first to find a stowaway in the hold, and then the plot took off from there. Owen, the hero, and the two animals appeared in Star Cruise: Outbreak as secondary characters so it was satisfying to give them their own story.

Here’s the blurb for the anthology, and the blurb for my story:

The blurb for Pets In Space:

Even an alien needs a pet...

Join the adventure as nine pet loving sci-fi romance authors take you out of this world and pull you into their action-packed stories filled with suspense, laughter, and romance. The alien pets have an agenda that will capture the hearts of those they touch. Follow along as they work side by side to help stop a genetically-engineered creature from destroying the Earth to finding a lost dragon; life is never the same after their pets decide to get involved. Can the animals win the day or will the stars shine just a little less brightly?

New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Best selling authors have eight original, never-released stories and one expanded story giving readers eight amazing new adventures  and one expanded story that will capture your imagination and help a worthy charity. Come join us as we take you on nine amazing adventures that will change the way you look at your pet!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

And the blurb for Star Cruise: Stowaway:

Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come – nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.

An excerpt from the beginning of the story:

           This was the time of day he enjoyed most, when all his crew had gone off duty and the Nebula Zephyr’s top cargo deck was quiet. Sure, more work remained tomorrow to get the cargo squared away properly and ready for the next stop, but there was no rush, being several weeks out. Cargo Master Owen Embersson surveyed his desk in the tiny office on Deck 18. Time to leave the place to the ship’s AI, go have his dinner in his cabin and then resume work on the scale model of a long-vanished temple he was building. This one was incredibly intricate, and he’d charge the customer triple the usual price.
            Stepping onto the echoing deck, he called for Moby. She spent most of her evenings hunting vermin lurking among the monstrous crates and containers, but she usually passed the first part of the evening in his cabin, eating the incredibly expensive cat food he had the ship’s AI keep in stock. Not much else to spend his salary on. “Come on, cat, I want my dinner even if you don’t,” he said to the elegant vision in white fur who trotted from the murky recesses of the deck. How she stayed clean when she spent her days prowling the cargo deck, he’d never know.
            Purring, she came to his steel-tipped work shoes but evaded his effort to pick her up, moving just out of range the way felines did, as if cats could teleport. Moby scampered toward the towering stacks of cargo then turned. Seeing he’d failed to chase her, she sat, tail twitching, head tilted, eyeing him.
            “What‘s the matter with you? I’m not in the mood to throw cat toys and retrieve them right now.” Embersson headed toward the gravlift. Moby regarded the entire ship as her territory and could find his cabin for her dinner when she was hungry.
            In the next minute, he nearly tripped as she rubbed his ankles, nipping at one in passing. Swearing, he caught himself with a hand to the bulkhead. “What in the seven hells is wrong with you tonight? Giving me a concussion won’t get you fed.”
            Moby yowled at him and ran toward the stacked cargo again.
            Figuring she wanted to show him a recent kill, which he’d then have to dispose of, he followed.
            Moby moved faster now that she’d gotten him with the program.
He followed her around the corner of the pallet the ship had taken on earlier in the day and found Midorri, the Zephyr’s other pet, crouched beside a free trader container. “What mischief have the two of you gotten into now?”

Buy Links:

Author Bio:
Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author and “SciFi Encounters” columnist for the USA Today Happily Ever After blog, Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.

Three time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award, as well as a National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Veronica is also the proud recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal relating to her former day job, not her romances! She recently was honored to read the part of Star Trek Crew Member in the audiobook production of Harlan Ellison’s “City On the Edge of Forever.”



Thanks for sharing this new release, Veronica. Best wishes to you and all the authors. This book should be so much fun!